Feed Always Available? Different Perspective + Rodents

[Fred's Hens]

Came across this article. I found it very, very worthwhile reading. Take a quick read and see what you think.

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Rodents.html

 

[dragonlair]

I agree with the author. I used to free feed my birds, but stooped after I had HUGE, healthy, fat rats. It was very noticeable when the snow started melting and all their snow tunnels became visible. I stood there one evening and watched close to 20 rats of varying ages run in and out of the chicken areas. I declared war, limited the food given to the birds and put out rat bait bars outside the chicken areas.

Now I have hardly any rodent issues. There are still 1 or 2 that I have seen tracks from in the snow, but not the ratty metropolis I had before. I am using traps and the bait bars on a regular basis now, plus they girls get fed in the morning, all they will clean up by afternoon and that's it. As soon as the grass gets growing, i will pick them all sorts of wild greens for them to pick at, but I doubt the rodents will want that.

 

[briteday]

I used to free feed. But we had a really bad year with mice last year. I also discovered that I was feeding squirrels, rabbits, wild birds, my own dogs, feral cats, you name it. So now I have figured out how much food they really need daily (I check in on them when I close the pop door, if there is food left I feed less, if their crops are too small I feed a bit more the next day until I got it dialed in). I let them forage early in the day, mainly because I have to leave for work in the dark. So I open the pop door and throw them the kitchen scraps before I leave and let them eat weeds and bugs until I come home for lunch or at the end of my day 4PM. Then they get their layer feed while I collect eggs and check water, poop board, etc. Generally they don't finish their feed until about one hour before going to roost. Also, I have ISA browns so I went to the Hendrix Genetics website (Hendrix holds the patent on ISA's) and they indicated that best egg production is achieved by feeding later in the day for the ISA's.

 

[catchthewind]

Thanks for the article! We're really hoping to avoid having rats move in when the chickens move out to the coop. Would a treadle feeder be another solution? That's what we were thinking of using.

 

[lfreem2]

I just purchased a treadle feeder for the very same reason. They are stupidly expensive, but I'm hoping it will ultimately save me money on wasted feed. I also hope it will keep mice and rats at bay. I also plan on putting mouse/rat blocks under the coop (inaccessible to the birds) as an extra line of defense. I want to to stop any issues upfront rather than wait for it to happen.

 

[catchthewind]

Yeah same here. We know we have at least a few mice already, and rats can be a problem in our area. We plan to try making the treadle feeder that has plans somewhere here on BYC. There is a program here where a rescue tries to rehabilitate feral cats. The ones that aren't rehabitable they will rehome on acreages as mousers. We may do that if we end up with a big problem but I'd rather not even start one. I like the idea of not free feeding too, especially since we're wanting to free range or pasture the chickens. I'm hoping in the summer at least they'll be able to get most of their nutrition from that, and wonder if they'd be more motivated to find their own food if they only got food in the morning or only in the evening or whatever.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I wonder if we don't have a problem free feeding because the food is in the coop and the pop door is elevated? Anything that wanted in would have to go out into the middle of the run and then run up a long ramp. That's a lot more exposure than running along a building and popping inside when you get to an open door. Rodents like to run along walls, rather than being out in the open. When I do give food in the run, it's just a snack that gets eaten right away. I never leave food out in the run overnight.

 

[llaaadyel]

Thank you so much for the article. I was wondering however, how do you determine how much food is the right amount of food to give them each day. I haven't had any rodent problems, but I have only a few ducks and roo. I will be however getting 25 chicks next week and would like to avoid this issue before it happens.

Thanks
E

 

[HeatherLynn]

Between the cats, a mean gander and some meaner than snakes hens I have not had an issue thankfully. I do keep feed out at all times. The cat knows to park himself on top of feed bags inside the coop for a bit of a snack. I have seen a hen with a tiny little mouse run out of the coop before. Apparently they are free game just like the frogs last year were. A bit gross and I am not sure if they actually eat them but they have killed them so......try not to think about it.

 

[briteday]

Quote:
The chicks will need food 24/7 so you may not have much choice. But my chicks stay inside for a few weeks before they move out to the brooder in the coop. Then they have a hanging feeder, but I do refill it twice per day...I try not to leave much extra around.

To find the right amount for my adult hens I put out what I think is right. If they're pressing themselves against the chain link run when I come out with food the next time...I need to give them more. If there's food left over when I go out the next day, then I need to feed less. My goal is to have them go to roost at night with fairly full crops (I feed late in the afternoon, or around dinner time) and not have anything left in the feed bin when I close up the coop for the night.